Chard-and-Bean-Stuffed Acorn Squash

We got some super-cute, super-tiny Acorn Squashes from the farmer’s market a while back, and they sorta just occupied space around our fruit bowl for a few weeks while Justin and I deliberated on what to do with them.  Being as little as they were, stuffing them seemed like a pretty good idea.  I thought about just going with a typical rice or breadcrumbs with veggies kinda thing, but then I remembered this recipe that I had seen in Eating Well, and knew what had to be done.

I was somewhat doubtful about how well the olives would go with the other ingredients, but they were absolutely fantastic – easily the thing that made this recipe as good as it was.

I made some very small adjustments to the original recipe, the most notable of which is that I used four itty-bitty squashes instead of two larger ones, halved.  I’m sure it’s delicious either way you make it.  Also, I ended up with a little bit of left over stuffing.  Justin ate it over rice and said it was great.

Adapted (very slightly) from Eating Well

(makes 4 servings)

• 4 very small or 2 medium acorn squash
• 2 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 large bunch chard, rinsed and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cooked Great Northern beans (equivalent of 1  can, rinsed)
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400°.

If using 2 medium squashes, carefully halve and seed them.  If using 4 small ones, trim a very small slice off of the stem end of the squashes.  You’re going to stuff them bottom-side-up, so this slice is to give them a little stability in the pan.  Turn them upside-down and take a small slice off of the bottom.  Use a spoon to break through the exposed flesh and scoop out all of the seeds.  Brush the insides of the squash with 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Bake in a 9×13 pan, cavity-side up, for about 30 – 40 minutes, or until they can be easily pierced with a fork.

About 15 minutes before your squash is ready, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet (one that has a lid) over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until just starting to brown.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Stir in the water and tomato paste, and season with a heavy pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.  Stir in the chard and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes or until it is tender.  Uncover and stir in the beans and olives, and cook until heated through.

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, and remaining tbsp. of olive oil.  Carefully fill each squash with the chard mixture, and top each one with a heap of the bread crumb mixture.  Return to the oven and broil – they are done when the tops are browned to your liking.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Arugula Penne

When I look for recipes to try out, I don’t necessarily stick to all vegetarian fare – in fact, if you flipped through the binder that I keep torn-out magazine recipes in, you’d probably find that about half of them AREN’T vegetarian.  A lot of recipes can be adapted, and I have a lot of fun trying to make things that are veg-friendly but still have the same characteristics as the original dish.

When I initially decided to make this dish, which I found in an old Gourmet magazine, I had planned on simply omitting the finely chopped pancetta that is called for in the recipe, with no intention of replacing it with something else.  But then I got to thinking about it and figured that there’s probably something that could stand in fairly well.  A quick Google search returned the idea of letting smoked tofu stand in, which sounds excellent, but I haven’t been able to find that around here and do not have the means to make my own.

Now I realize that pancetta, though similar to bacon, is not a smoked meat and therefore does not taste quite the same.  Still, many recipes that call for pancetta offer up bacon as a reasonable substitute.  I decided to invent my own smoke-flavored substitute for this dish, and quite frankly, I’m extremely pleased with the way it turned out.  The end result was a delicious and hearty meal that offered lots of interesting and fresh flavors.

A quick note about sun-dried tomatoes: the original recipe called for drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes.  These, however, are fairly expensive compared to the non-oil-packed ones.  I picked up a bag of California Sun-Dry Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes (julienne cut) with the intention of re-hydrating them in oil myself, but found them to be quite moist and delightfully chewy right out of the bag.  But if you have a different brand or type, you may need to re-hydrate or drain, depending on what you’ve got and your taste/texture preferences.

Inspired by Gourmet Magazine

(makes 4 servings)

• 14 oz. box whole wheat penne rigate
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 dashes liquid smoke
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 5 oz. baby arugula
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped basil and/or flat-leaf parsley (I used both)

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water as per the directions on the box, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water before draining.

While the pasta is cooking, heat half of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat.  Beat the eggs, water, liquid smoke, and a pinch of salt together in a bowl until the mixture is smooth.  Pour the eggs into the skillet in one, flat layer, and let cook until it is starting to brown on the bottom.  Use a spatula to flip the eggs over (don’t worry if you have to break the layer into several pieces to do this), and cook them until they are slightly browned on the second side.  Slide onto a cutting board, finely chop, and reserve for later.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the rest of the oil to the skillet.  Add the onion, garlic, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper to the pan and cook, stirring once in a while, until the onion is softened and lightly browned.  Stir in the cream and sun-dried tomatoes, and simmer until the cream has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the arugula and the chopped eggs, adding a splash or two of the pasta water to help the sauce cover the greens.  When the arugula has wilted, add the pasta, cheese, and herbs, and toss to coat pasta, stirring in more of the cooking water as needed.

Top each serving with some extra grated parm and enjoy!

Tempeh Étouffée

And once again I must start off by apologizing for the lack of updates.  Hopefully this will be the last long lull between recipes to ever happen here again.

Several weeks ago, I was inspired by a post on Smitten Kitchen to pull my much neglected slow cooker out from its hiding spot in my laundry room.  That week we made some really awesome split-pea soup (whose recipe I’ll put up here soon).  We’ve used the slow cooker about once a week since then and have  been extremely happy with the resulting meals.  Except for the aforementioned split-pea soup, whose recipe I sorta just made up, all of the things we’ve been cooking in there have come out of a wonderful cookbook we checked out of the library called Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker.  This étouffée is one of those recipes.

The author suggested serving it over rice, and a little research into the étouffée turned up that that is indeed the way it is classically eaten, but we had ours with toasted french bread (this recipe will also be posted soon) and it was delicious.  We also preferred to have our tempeh partially crumbled, whereas the book called for it to all be cubed.

Justin put this together while I was at work one day.  He did a great job and we both really enjoyed the recipe.  This could also probably be made on the stove top really easily if you don’t want to use/don’t own a slow cooker.

Adapted (just barely) from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker.

(makes 4 good-sized servings)

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 12 oz. tempeh, half of it cut into 1 inch chunks and the rest crumbled
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 rib of celery, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• One 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, un-drained
• 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
• Toasted crusty bread, such as French
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Tabasco sauce, to serve

Heat half of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the tempeh chunks and brown on all sides.  When the chunks are about half-way done, add the crumbled tempeh and brown that as well.  Transfer to a plate or bowl and put in the fridge for later.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan, and cook the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in it until they are softened and just beginning to slightly brown.  Transfer to a 4-quart slow cooker.  Stir in the tomatoes, Tabasco, salt, water, and dried herbs.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (I left ours in there for 9 hours and it was still delish).

A half an hour before you’re ready to eat, stir the browned tempeh into the mix.  A few minutes before supper time, toast your bread.  You can either spoon your étouffée over the toast (as I did), and then top it with some parsley and extra Tabasco, if that’s what you like, or eat it with the toast on the side (as Justin did).  Either way, it’s really good.

Tofu, Mushroom, and Mashed Potato Casserole

Sorry for the lack of updates lately.  The first full week of school since winter break just came to a close, and I’ve had to take some time to get back into the swing of things – though we have been cooking up a storm!  Regular posting should resume from this point forward.

I found this recipe in Eating Well Magazine and thought it looked delicious — a real comfort food if I ever saw one.  Any time I see a layered mashed potato dish, I can’t help but think of my mom’s Shepherd’s Pie (which I’m fairly certain was a far cry from the real thing, but we loved it), made with seasoned ground-beef, mashed potatoes, and canned corn.  This seemed like a vegetarian, grown up version of that, and I decided I had to make it.

We did, however, make some changes to the recipe.  The magazine said you could serve this bad-boy up as a vegetarian main course, but in case you couldn’t tell from previous posts, I’m a fan of sorta all-in-one meals.  So I figured if we could up the veggies and add some protein, we’d be set.  It turned out pretty well I think.

Justin and I both agreed that it needed “something.”  A few dashes of Tabasco Sauce on mine and I was in heaven.  Justin didn’t agree that that’s what the “something” was though – his jury is still out on that one.

Regarding the type of mushrooms used: the magazine said to use one and a half pounds of either cremini or white.  We had half a pound of white mushrooms already in the fridge, but creminis were on sale last week, so we mixed them.  Feel free to change the ratio if you like.

Inspired by Eating Well Magazine

(makes 8 large servings)

• 3 1/2 pounds potatoes (whatever kind you prefer mashed – we like red)
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, halved
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, halved
• 1 1/2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 tbsp. cider vinegar)
• 1 large egg plus one large egg white, beaten
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped shallots (you could substitute onion)
• 5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 14 oz. package extra-firm tofu, rinsed and drained (no need to press here)
• Approximately10 cups chopped spinach (if using baby you could probably forgo chopping)
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (mushroom broth would be nice if you have it – we didn’t)
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• liberal amounts of salt and pepper

Wash potatoes well and cut into 1 inch pieces.  (We didn’t peel ours because we prefer the added texture and fiber of the skins, but feel free to peel yours if you prefer.)  Place in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a gentle boil.  Cover pot and continue to boil until the potatoes are extremely tender.

Meanwhile, put the mushrooms, in two batches, in your food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped into fairly small pieces.  You could do this step by hand with a knife if you don’t own a food processor, but be sure to set aside a good chunk of time to do it — you want them pretty small and it’s a LOT of mushrooms!
When the potatoes are super tender, turn off the heat, drain well and return them to the pot.  Add the butter and mash until they’re mostly smooth.  Stir in the butter milk and eggs and season to taste with salt.

Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet over medium heat.  Add in the shallots and garlic, and cook until starting to soften.  Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates, so that the pan is just about dry (this takes a while, but you’ll know when it’s happened).  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Crumble the tofu into the pan and turn the heat up to medium-high.  Continue cooking, giving a stir once in a while, until the tofu is heated through and parts of it are starting to brown.  Stir in the spinach and allow it to wilt.  Whisk the broth and flour together in a small bowl and add the mixture to the pan, along with the rosemary and more salt and pepper.  Continue to cook while stirring until the mixture is bubbly and thick.

Preheat your oven to 400°.  Spread half of the mashed potatoes evenly into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan or baking dish, and sprinkle them with half of the Parm.  Spread the tofu-mushroom mixture over this, and then very carefully cover with the remaining mashed potatoes.  Spread the remaining cheese evenly over the top.

Bake until the casserole is hot throughout and the top is golden brown, around 35 minutes.

We actually assembled our casserole earlier in the day during one of Justin’s breaks from school and then refrigerated it.  If you want to do this too, I suggest baking it for half an hour at 350°, covered by aluminum foil, then uncovering it and boosting the temp up to 400° for about 20 minutes.

Pasta with Walnut, Pea, and Cream Sauce

A few nights ago I had one of those evenings where I was starving, but nothing sounded good.  There were plenty of leftovers in the fridge, but none of them were very appealing at the moment.  My New Year’s Resolution to stop eating out so often (we’re working on an eating out budget) prevented me from picking something up, and the huge amount that we’d spent on groceries over the weekend had me very reluctant to spend any more.  So instead, I pulled together a quick meal out of things that were just lying around.  And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

I don’t usually have cream in the house (though I think that’s probably going to change), but I had needed some for my cookie baking before the holidays and I still had a bit left over.  I’ve almost always got some kind of nuts in the pantry, and garlic and onions go without saying.  Digging through my freezer produced a tiny bag of frozen peas, which seemed like a good addition.  For flavoring I turned to the ever-growing monster of a basil plant which resides on my porch (I hesitate to say I keep a basil plant, because really this beast more likely keeps me).  Add to that a half a pound of shell pasta I had hanging out under the cupboard, and voila!, a rich, creamy, and delicious dinner was born.  This was so good I couldn’t believe I’d just thrown it together.

I used a combination of cream and milk because that’s what I had on hand, but you could probably change up the ratio (all cream, less cream more milk, etc.) if you wanted.  I think the cream added incredibly rich flavoring though, so I probably wouldn’t cut it out completely.

(makes 3-4 servings, depending on how hungry everyone is)

• 1/2 pound small pasta of your choice (I used whole wheat shells)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped
• 3/4 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 1/4 c. fresh basil
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese*
• salt and pepper to taste

*A quick note about Parmesan cheese: if you maintain a vegetarian diet, check the ingredients on the cheese you buy.  For instance, Parmigiano-Reggiano – the king of all cheese, in my opinion – contains animal rennet, and therefor is not vegetarian friendly (I gave it up, along with several other cheese favorites, when I became a vegetarian).  There are a few decent vegetarian Parms out there (though Reggiano lovers will certainly know the difference), just be sure to read the labels.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente.

While the pasta cooks, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  If your onion was cut in half vertically (from root end to plant end), cut it in half vertically again (so you’ve got two vertical quarters) and slice thinly.  If your onion was cut in half horizontally, through the equator, then cut the half into quarters before slicing thinly.  Add onion to pan and cook until just getting soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until onions are just beginning to slightly brown.  Add the walnuts to the pan, and cook until the walnuts begin to very slightly brown and smell fragrant.  Add in the cream and milk and stir to combine.

Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sauce has reduced by about 1/3 (if you’re using a high milk ratio, you may want to let it reduce more for a thicker sauce).  Meanwhile, cut your basil into ribbons by stacking up all of the leaves, rolling them into a log, and cutting thin slices off of the log from end to end.  When your sauce has reduced to a consistency you like, add in the peas and basil ribbons, and cook just long enough to heat the peas through.  Add parm and salt and pepper to taste (I like mine ultra peppery), toss in the pasta and you’re done!  You could sprinkle a little more cheese atop each serving if you like. . . I for one can not get enough of the stuff.

Spicy Malaysian Noodles

Last night was, I believe, the coldest night so far of this winter here in SW Florida.  It’s not unusual to hear Floridians complain about the chilly weather, but I relish it.  For one thing, it’s very nice to be able to walk outside and not break a sweat.  For another, and I realize this might sound a little nuts, everything is just better when it’s cold: smells smell better, music sounds better, and — most importantly — food tastes better.  I don’t know why this happens, it just does.  I’m always the happiest in the winter time because it just feels like my entire life is enhanced.

But besides all my crazy “better” mumbo jumbo (and please feel free to comment if you feel the same, or even if you don’t), it makes logical sense that it’s much more enjoyable to stand over a hot stove or oven when it doesn’t feel like you’re living in said stove or oven.

Anyhow, last night being as chilly as it was, I was craving something spicy and comforting.  A quick search through some recipes I’ve torn out of my food magazines turned up this recipe for Spicy Malaysian-Style Stir-Fried Noodles from Cooking Light.

I’m not going to re-post the recipe here, as we followed it almost exactly as it was, though we did make two minor changes.  The first was out of necessity: our favorite Asian market was out of sweet bean sauce, so we had to sub in regular bean sauce.  To make up for this, we added an extra 1/2 tablespoon sugar to the sauce.  The second change was to halve the amount of sambal oelek used.  I have to admit that even though the second change was made at Justin’s request, as he’s pretty sensitive to spicy foods, I was extremely glad when we ate the finished dish that we had cut back on the spicy.  I’m not sure I’d have been able to eat it as it’s originally written.

Let me tell you though, this was so delicious!  And it satisfied my craving as few things could have.  The sauce was spicy and salty and sweet, and the noodles were wondrously chewy, with the bok choy and tofu rounding out the meal and playing their parts perfectly as crunchy veggie and mouth cooling protein.  I honestly would have preferred my tofu cooked a little (perhaps coated in a little of the bean sauce and baked in the oven for a crunchy, yummy exterior), but Justin really loved it as is.

This was certainly a winner in my book and will be made again in the future.

Quick blooper on the photo: I actually managed to drop my camera, lens first, into my bowl of noodles.  I was pretty upset about it when it happened because I’d only pulled off a couple shots and now had a camera covered in sticky sauce, but in hindsight I think it’s pretty funny.  I’m such a klutz sometimes, I swear.

Holiday Cookie Madness, the Conclusion

Chocolate mint thumbprint

As promised earlier in the week, today I’ve got the recipes for the remaining two holiday cookies I made this year, which were incredibly popular with everyone I gave them to and will definitely be included in any future holiday baking I do.

The chocolate mint thumbprint cookies from the Betty Crocker magazine, while requiring multiple steps to complete, were still pretty simple to make and went over extremely well.  I would say they were my personal favorite of the bunch.  The cookie itself is light and a little on the crumbly side which is complemented very well by the pool of slightly chewy dark chocolate and candy piece in the center.  I likened them to mint chocolate chip ice cream, in cookie form.

I actually made the cookie shells at night and waited until the next day to fill them, which was a good call as it made things a lot less overwhelming.  The original recipe calls for spooning the melted chocolate mixture into the center of each cookie, but I thought this sounded like a huge pain in the butt, so I opted to make my own piping bag instead.

Chocolate Mint Thumbprints

Source: Betty Crocker Magazine No. 252; 2009 Christmas Cookies edition

(makes approx. 3 dozen cookies)

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
• 2 egg yolks
• 16 drops green food coloring
• 2 1/4 cups AP flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 3 tbsp. heavy cream
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 18 Andes mints, cut or broken into irregular halves

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat the 1 cup butter and the powdered sugar with an electric mixer set on medium until light and fluffy.  Add the peppermint extract, egg yolks, and food coloring, and beat until blended.  Switch the mixer to low and beat in the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on cookie sheets spaced 2 inches apart.  Use your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon to press a deep well into the center of each ball.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the dough is set.  The thumbprints in the cookies are going to puff out quite a bit, so it will be necessary to remake them with the end of a wooden spoon (definitely don’t want to use your thumb this time!).  Let cool 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving the cookies to a cooling rack and letting them cool at least 15 minutes.

In a small ziploc freezer bag, combine the chocolate chips, cream, and butter.  Microwave on highfor about a minute, removing the bag and squishing it around every 20 seconds to help everything melt.  Cut off the very tip of one of the bottom corners of the bag and squeeze some of the chocolate mixture into the center of each cookie.  Top with a piece of Andes mint, and let stand for about an hour until the chocolate sets up.  Then try not to eat all of them before giving them to your friends.

*****

The number one crowd-pleasing recipe this year was the one for browned butter sugar cookies that I found in the December 2009 issue of Cooking Light.  It was, unfortunately, also the most difficult to make.  Apparently, there is what would seem to be a mistake within the recipe, as many angry reviewers at cookinglight.com (including myself) found the dough produced by it to be completely unworkable.  I almost scrapped the whole recipe and threw away my “dough” (if that’s what you’d call the crumbly mess that I produced), but decided there wouldn’t be much lost if I tried messing with it a little bit first to see if it was fixable.  I had doubled the recipe, so I already had a TON of ingredients socked into it and wasn’t quite willing to give it up yet.  The finished product made me really glad that I hadn’t.

To get the dough to the point where it was at least workable, I added some extra moisture to the original recipe.  I also made HUGE changes to the procedure, which likely altered the texture of the finished cookie from that which was intended.  Also, the original recipe called for icing the cookies and coating them with pearlized sugar, but Justin and I really enjoyed them sans icing, so I didn’t bother.  The end result was a cookie that was wonderfully flavored, with slight saltiness cutting through the mild sweetness and really interesting notes from the browned butter.  They were crunchy on the edges with just the slightest bit of chewiness in the center.

Browned Butter Sugar Cookies

(Check out my post from 12/29/09 to see a picture of these bad boys)

adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

(makes approx. 5 dozen cookies)

• 9  tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1  cup granulated sugar
• 1/2  tsp. vanilla extract
• 3  large egg yolks
• 1 3/4 cups AP flour
• 1/2  tsp. salt
• 1/4  tsp. baking powder
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream
• 1-3 tbsp. water

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat, and cook until it develops a nice dark-brown color.  Pour it into a large mixing bowl and let it stand 5 minutes.  Add the sugar and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Add egg yolks and continue beating for another minute.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda with a whisk.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and use your hands to combine well.  Add the heavy cream and continue squishing with your hands.  Slowly, one tablespoon at a time, add water until the dough will hold together.  Transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment paper, flatten slightly into a disk, wrap well and refrigerate.  I left mine in the fridge over night, but I’m sure a couple hours would do the trick.

Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it in half.  Put one half back in the fridge, and place the other between two largish sheets of wax paper.  Using your rolling pin (or the one you borrowed from your boyfriend’s mom), flatten the dough between the sheets of wax paper until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick.  Repeat with the second piece of dough and return both sheets of rolled dough back to the fridge for another hour or so.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Working as quickly as possible, cut your dough with 1 1/2 inch cookie cutters (I used snowflakes and trees) and place shapes one inch apart on cookie sheets.  You may need to alternate from one sheet of dough to the other, as it becomes difficult to remove the cut shapes from the rest of the dough as it warms up.  Just switch the first piece back into the fridge when you remove the second sheet, and keep doing this each time your dough starts to get too warm to easily work with.  Once both sheets of dough have run out of space to cut from, mush the two pieces together, re-roll and re-refrigerate, and continue cutting.

Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, for 5-6 minutes or until the edges just start to brown.  Let them cool on the sheets for a couple of minutes before removing them to cooling racks to finish cooling.  As with the mint cookies, good luck in not eating every last one of them before packaging them up to give to your loved ones.

Holiday Cookie Madness, part 1

From front to back: browned butter sugar cookies, chocolate mint thumbprints (not quite dressed yet), and chocolate-cherry pinwheels.

As a child, I remember making cookies every year at Christmas time with my siblings and cousins under the supervision of my mom.  We always made the same kinds of cookies each year: red (pink) frosted bonbons with cherry centers, green frosted bonbons with chocolate centers, and Russian teacakes, all from an ancient Betty Crocker cookbook my mom had.   Friends, family members, co-workers, teachers, and neighbors could count on getting a tin of cookies from the Pepe family each year, and it came to be expected that a dozen or so of the same three little holiday colored goodies would be inside.

Now that all of us kids are all grown up — my youngest sister is already twenty-one — my mom doesn’t typically make cookies for Christmas anymore (though, thankfully, she does still make a mean batch of candied nuts!).  Several years ago, when I was much less into cooking than I am now, I tried picking up the reins and making the same set of cookies I was used to around the holidays.  Honestly, the cookies didn’t turn out that great, and something felt off about making them all by myself, without my older cousin and mom to man the oven and the help of three or four (or more) other sets of hands to roll the dough into little balls.

A few years have passed since that one sorry attempt, and I decided to try my hand at some cookies again.  This time I decided to try four different recipes, in hopes that something would be a big hit and could my new yearly tradition.

I don’t have much experience with baking, and prior to a last week, I had practically no experience with a rolling pin, so I tried to pick recipes that wouldn’t be too ridiculously hard, but that could also maybe help me to improve my baking skills.  Additionally, because I have family members who for varying reasons can’t eat nuts, I opted to make all cookies that were nut-free.  After much deliberating, I decided to go with three recipes that I found in a Betty Crocker cookie magazine about a month ago, as well as one recipe from the most recent issue of Cooking Light.  Today I’m going to tell you about two of the cookies I made, but be sure to check back on Thursday for the other two.

Of the cookies that I made, I would say probably the least popular were also the easiest to make (ain’t that always the way): the chocolate-raspberry triangles that came from the Betty Crocker book.  This is not to say that they weren’t still pretty good.  I may have added a bit too much chocolate, and I really feel that there just wasn’t enough raspberry going on.  If I ever make these again in the future, I will likely double the raspberry part of the recipe, while keeping the rest the same.

Chocolate-Raspberry Triangles

Source: Betty Crocker Magazine No. 252; 2009 Christmas Cookies edition

(makes 48 bars)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 10 oz package frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350°.  In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and butter until crumbly.  Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile (this is the part of the recipe I will double in the future), mix the raspberries, orange juice, and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil while stirring constantly.  Let it boil while stirring for 1 minute, then remove it from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the baked crust.  Spread the raspberry mixture over the chocolate chips, and put the whole thing back in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the raspberry mixture is set.  Remove from the oven and cool for at least an hour, or until the chocolate is firm.  To make triangles, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows, and then cut each square into 4 triangles.  I personally liked mine a little less uniform and quite a bit smaller, so I cut mine into squares and then made several small triangles with different dimensions out of each.

*****

The next most popular cookies I made were the chocolate-cherry pinwheels.  They were very fun to make, and I enjoyed working my rolling pin chops.  The problem was that the finished cookie, while absolutely beautiful to look at and perfectly textured, was a little bland tasting.  In fact, my roommate, who doesn’t like cherries, told me that she liked these cookies because they didn’t taste like cherry at all!  I had considered either giving them a partial dip into semisweet chocolate or giving them a little drizzle of it, then sprinkling them with a little more chopped cherries, but I sorta ran out of time to do this.  It probably would have made them taste great though.

Anyhow, since this recipe is on the Betty Crocker website, and the only alteration I made was to use vanilla extract in place of the almond, I’m going to just post a link to their recipe.  Reading the reviews of the recipe there, it appears that others shared my opinion on the blandness of the cookies.

That’s all for today.  Be sure to check back on Thursday for the final two cookies that I made, which were the absolute favorites of the bunch.

Butternut and Chipotle Soup

So, we LOVE soup.  It seems like some kind of soup comes out of my kitchen at least once a week, whether it be one of my roommate Jen’s delicious creations or something that Justin and I whipped up.  We almost always double our soup recipes so that we have plenty of leftovers, of which we usually freeze a quart or two for later consumption.  Now that the weather here in southwest Florida is finally starting to cool off, soups are especially appreciated.

A few weeks ago, our favorite vendor at the local farmer’s market was selling some very cute, very tiny organic butternut squashes.  We snatched up four of them without necessarily having anything in mind to do with them.  After they sat on the counter for a week or so, Justin had the fantastic idea of turning them into soup.

After checking out a few recipes here and there, we decided to go with one from one of our absolute favorite cookbooks, Vegan with a Vengeance, but with a few twists (one of which makes it non-vegan).  I felt that that sweetness of the squash would pair well with a little bit of smokey heat and hence decided to use a canned chipotle chile rather than the serrano that was called for in the original dish.  We made a few other small changes as well.  Isa’s method for prepping butternut squash is pretty awesome, so I’ve paraphrased it in my directions below.

Though our soup was absolutely delicious as-is, Justin noted that he didn’t feel full for very long after eating it, so I may try blending some silken tofu into future renditions.

Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance

(makes 3 servings)

• 4 small butternut squashes (ours were no longer than my very large hands, I would say 6 to 8 inches)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• heavy pinch of salt
• 1 chipotle pepper (from a can of chipotle in adobo), chopped
• 2 tsp. adobo sauce (from the can)
• 2 cups vegetable stock (we had homemade on hand)
• 2 tsp. honey

Preheat the oven to 425° F.  Cut the very top and very bottom off of each squash, and remove the skin with a vegetable peeler.  Cut the squash in half horizontally, so you’ve got the bulbous end separated from the long end.  Cut each of these in half vertically, and use a spoon to remove the guts.  Coat the pieces of squash with about a tablespoon of the olive oil, and roast cut-side down for about 40 minutes, or until they are very tender.

About 10 minutes before the squash is done, heat the rest of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook until soft.  Add the ginger, garlic, and salt and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the squash from the oven and very carefully transfer the pieces to the pot with the onions and garlic and ginger (oh my!).  Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and hit it with an immersion blender until it’s smooth and creamy.  Alternately, you could transfer everything to a regular blender or a food processor and whiz until smooth.  If you go this route, return the pureed soup to the pot to heat through.

Enjoy!

Peanut Noodles with Toppings

So the inaugural recipe post on Double the Garlic does not actually contain any garlic. . . go figure!

Alrighty then, to get things started here I’ve got a recipe that I whip up once in a while out of things that I typically have on hand in the fridge and pantry.  It’s extremely filling, and Justin and I both really enjoy it.

Since I usually just eyeball things into a pan when I make this, the measurements listed are approximate, and as with anything, can and should be adjusted to your own tastes.

Enjoy!

Peanut Noodles

(makes 2 humongous servings)

• 2 bundles soba noodles or roughly 1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti
• 1/2 cup or more snow peas (optional)
• 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• sriracha to taste (optional)

Boil the soba noodles or pasta according to the package directions.  I use this recipe as an opportunity to use up any green veggies in the fridge, which in this case was a handful of snow peas.  If you choose to do the same, add them to the pot about a minute before the noodles are done cooking to blanch them.  Drain.

Return the the pan to medium heat and add the sesame oil and crushed red pepper.  When the flakes are just starting to take on color (be super careful not to burn them!), turn off the heat and stir in the peanut butter and soy sauce, as well as about 2 tablespoons of water.  I recommend tasting the sauce at this point to make sure you like your soy/water/peanut butter/spiciness ratio.  If it’s too salty or spicy, you can add a bit more peanut butter and water to the mix.  If you’d like it spicier, you could add a little shot of sriracha.  When the the sauce is to your liking, return the noodles to the pan and toss to coat.

You could eat this as is at this point, or for extra yumminess you could add a few toppings.  We’ve got Soy Sauce Egg Crumbles (recipe below), roasted peanuts, and finely chopped green onion on ours.  Another great topping option would be scrambled tofu.

Soy Sauce Egg Crumbles

• two large eggs
• 1 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
• large pinch of sugar
• 1 tsp. canola oil

Beat eggs very well and mix in the soy sauce and the sugar.  Heat oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add the egg mixture to the pan and stir constantly as it sets up to form tiny crumbly pieces.